Jason Matta is the senior pastor of Hope Church Toronto West. Its mission is to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the spirit of the Great Commandment.
Hope Church Toronto West was experiencing an administrative transition when it originally reached out to BELAY.
“We were looking for a solution whereby a lot of tasks could get offloaded from our plates and things that didn’t need to be consuming our time could be handled professionally and done well,” Jason says.
Enter BELAY Virtual Assistant Bonnie Michaels.
“BELAY stepped in and listened to us,” Jason remembers. “They got a sense of what our needs were, who we were, and they really matched us well.”
The task list for Bonnie included behind-the-scenes to-do’s, such as communicating with insurance companies, calendar and inbox management, coordinating with vendors, ordering supplies, and setting up meetings.
“Anything you can imagine that would free us up to do the work of our ministry, our BELAY Assistant did, whether [they were] simple tasks or complex tasks,” Jason says.
Jason accredits the successful engagement to over-communication and kindness.
“Kindness and putting others before yourself goes a long way in building trust and a good working relationship,” Jason says. “[Bonnie] was always doing that for me, and I was always trying to do that for her.”
According to Jason, Bonnie went above and beyond in professionalism and courtesy and was a good personality match for Hope Church Toronto West.
“We had a job description of what our outgoing administrator was doing, and we ran that by [Bonnie],” Jason says. “She is always willing to take on anything and [has] made that clear.”
However, this engagement is much deeper than just tasks.
“Our situation is pretty unique,” Jason admits. “[Bonnie] came at just the right time. Our church went through a significant crisis and she was really a godsend. I feel like the Lord sent her to us.”
“There were times she’d get on [our] call, and she had tears in her eyes because she knew the challenges we were facing. She just supported [us] and was empathetic. It was really personal, and [she showed us] a lot of love.”
“That was huge. She showed herself to be trustworthy, and she really supported us in a time when [we were] vulnerable. She was a safe space for our staff.”
With Bonnie on his side and understanding the sensitivity of what was going on, trust was instantly built and Jason was able to fully benefit from having a BELAY Virtual Assistant.
“It freed me up to do the things that were the best and highest use of my own time,” Jason says.
“And, lo and behold, I would find meetings in my calendar. That made me really glad to know that our church was getting cared for in that way and that people were not slipping through the cracks.”
“I can’t articulate enough how much we love her and care about her,” Jason adds.
BONNIE MICHAELS
Virtual Assistant